novelraw Chapter 129: A Lion Killing a Rabbit—Why Celebrate?
Chapter 129: A Lion Killing a Rabbit—Why Celebrate?
Jiang Ci left Lin Wan's villa.
That supplementary agreement stating a post-tax fifteen percent share remained unsigned.
It lay quietly on the cold glass coffee table.
Inside the entourage van, the heater was blasting.
His assistant, Sun Zhou, sat across from him, the excitement on his face not yet fully faded.
Jiang Ci leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, but he wasn't asleep.
The van was quiet for a long time.
Finally, Jiang Ci was the one to break the silence.
"Tell me about this Hou Hsiao-hsien."
Sun Zhou was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting Jiang Ci to ask about this.He immediately perked up, rapidly recalling information he'd seen online and gossip he'd heard within the industry.
"Director Hou, the 'living fossil' of Chinese-language cinema! A regular at the three major film festivals! The films he makes win awards left and right, but they just... don't really consider box office appeal."
Sun Zhou cleared his throat, continuing to add details.
"In the industry, they call him the 'actor shredder.' Famous for tormenting actors."
"Rumor has it, when filming a movie about miners years ago, to pursue realism, he forced the male lead—a three-time Film Emperor—to live in an abandoned mine shaft for three whole months!"
"When he came out, he'd lost thirty pounds and didn't recover for half a year."
As he spoke, Sun Zhou himself gave a slight shiver.
He carefully observed Jiang Ci's reaction, trying to steer the conversation back to a direction he was more concerned about.
"Bro, even though this kind of art-house director is impressive, we're not in a hurry."
"That's something you do for gilding after you're already famous. Let's focus on filming *The Legend of Han and Chu* well first. Once the movie's out, you'll be the next top star!"
Sun Zhou's eyes sparkled with boundless anticipation.
"Tell me,"
Jiang Ci spoke abruptly.
His voice was soft, yet it effortlessly pierced through Sun Zhou's daydream.
"How utterly unlucky does a person have to be, to be executed by firing squad on the eve of victory, watched by the person they love most?"
The wild joy on Sun Zhou's face instantly froze solid.
His mouth hung open, unable to utter a single word.
The entourage van slowly arrived at the hotel where the crew was staying.
The hotel lobby was brightly lit.
As soon as Jiang Ci walked through the revolving door, several familiar crew members spotted him immediately.
"Jiang Ci! Congratulations!"
"Not bad, kid! We all went to see *Palace Conspiracy*! That General Gu you played was amazing!"
Warm congratulations and good-natured teasing came from all directions.
If it were before, Jiang Ci might have politely exchanged a few words.
But now, his mind was filled with Shen Qingyuan's smile as he walked towards the firing squad, and the eyes of Gu Wanbai, brimming with regret.
The clamor of the world had nothing to do with him.
Jiang Ci merely gave a polite, distant nod to everyone, aloof yet not lacking in grace.
He didn't stop, walking straight through the crowd towards the elevators.
He shut all the noise and liveliness behind the slowly closing metal doors.
*Ding.*
The elevator reached his floor.
He stepped out, swiped his keycard, opened the door, entered the room.
*Click.*
The door was locked from the inside.
Sun Zhou was left outside. He knocked on the door.
"Bro, you haven't had dinner! Should I order something sent up for you?"
There was no response from inside the room.
Sun Zhou sighed and had to leave on his own.
Jiang Ci walked straight to his suitcase, opened it,
and rummaged through a pile of clothes to pull out the somewhat dog-eared printed script of *The Legend of Han and Chu*.
He didn't start from the beginning.
Instead, relying on memory, he accurately flipped to the next chapter of the script.
At the top of that page, three words were printed in bold black font.
[The Battle of Pengcheng].
His thoughts needed to shift from the undercover agent who fell before dawn, to the Conqueror of Western Chu destined for destruction beneath the weight of his own fame.
It was a painful process.
Like taking apart your own bones one by one, then piecing them back together.
But this was an actor's fate.
...
The eighth day of the Lunar New Year.
The *The Legend of Han and Chu* crew officially gathered in the hotel's large conference room.
Director Wei Song was not in a hurry to start filming.
Instead, he called together all the main creative staff for the first script reading session after the holiday break.
Everyone was present.
Wei Song sat at the head of the table, his presence as powerful as ever.
He didn't waste words, getting straight to the point.
"Happy New Year, everyone. Welcome back. The next phase of filming is the centerpiece of the entire movie, the battle that cements the peak of Xiang Yu's military legend—the Battle of Pengcheng."
He stood up and walked to the whiteboard behind him, which already had storyboard sketches and maps pinned to it.
"The image I want is clearly written in the history books. Xiang Yu personally led thirty thousand elite cavalry on a long-distance surprise attack, crushing Liu Bang's allied army of five hundred and sixty thousand, and recapturing Pengcheng. This is a miracle, a myth!"
"I want to capture Xiang Yu's triumphant spirit, his peerless, domineering aura! And also, after recapturing the city, that unbridled arrogance as he indulges in treasure and beauties!"
Every word from Wei Song was filled with power, stirring the blood of the creative staff present.
Today's focus was a scene set after Xiang Yu's great victory at Pengcheng—the victory celebration banquet.
In the script, this scene was described with extreme extravagance.
Xiang Yu sits high in the host's seat, fine wine in his cup, beauties at his side.
Below, his generals and soldiers shout 'long live' in unison.
He is triumphant, unrivaled, bestowing a thousand pieces of gold upon subordinates who come to congratulate him, and with a wave of his hand ordering the execution of captured generals who refuse to submit.
The character for 'arrogant' was displayed to the fullest.
After the reading concluded.
Wei Song didn't immediately state his opinion. Following procedure, he asked for everyone's views.
The creative team, led by Head Screenwriter Li Jun, was the first to excitedly start discussing.
"I think we should add another scene! After the victory banquet, Xiang Yu stands alone on the city walls of Pengcheng and lets out a long roar! To maximize his arrogance!"
"Yes! We could also arrange a scene where he and Yu Ji dance amidst mountains of gold, silver, and treasure, using the most lavish spectacle to highlight the joy of this epic victory!"
"Exactly this kind of visual impact! Let the audience see a true Hegemon!"
Everyone's discussion revolved around how to make Xiang Yu's "domineering aura" more outwardly expressed, more concrete.
The atmosphere in the conference room was fervent.
It was at this moment.
A person who had remained silent from start to finish slowly set down the script in his hands.
It was Qin Feng.
He was still wearing a simple jacket, sitting quietly in the corner, seemingly out of place amidst this heated discussion.
He asked lightly.
"Did he really feel happy about this great victory?"
One sentence.
The entire conference room instantly fell silent.
A flicker of displeasure crossed Head Screenwriter Li Jun's face. He frowned.
"Teacher Qin, this is the pinnacle battle of Xiang Yu's military career. Thirty thousand defeating five hundred and sixty thousand, unprecedented and likely never to be repeated. How could he not be happy?"
Qin Feng slowly raised his head.
His movements were deliberate, but no one dared to interrupt him.
His gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Li Jun.
"Would a lion hold a victory banquet for killing a rabbit?"
Li Jun was stunned.
Qin Feng continued.
"For Xiang Yu, those five hundred and sixty thousand so-called allied troops were nothing more than a rabble, dizzy with victory, only interested in plundering treasure and women."
"The enemy in his eyes was always only Liu Bang."
"Thirty thousand battle-hardened elite cavalry against five hundred and sixty thousand farmers who couldn't even hold a formation steady. Was there any suspense in this victory?"
"So, is this a victory worth remembering, or merely a... tedious cleanup?"
Jiang Ci, who had been keeping his eyes downcast, slowly lifted his head.
His gaze passed over the crowd, precisely meeting Qin Feng's in the air.
In that instant, he understood everything.
The root of this scene wasn't in "arrogance," nor in "domination."
It was in the extreme of "pride"—boredom.
The boredom of a world so vast, yet with no one left worthy of being his enemy.
Wei Song was completely shaken by this entirely new perspective.
He didn't immediately make a decision.
His gaze moved back and forth between Jiang Ci and Qin Feng.
One had posed the question through his performance.
The other had articulated the answer with words.
These two...
Finally, Wei Song's gaze turned to Head Screenwriter Li Jun, who represented historical research and script logic.
He asked in a serious tone.
"Screenwriter Li, is there any evidence in the historical records to support this 'theory of boredom'?"